RCA Debuts New Lyra Micro Jukeboxes

RCA has introduced three new MP3 players in its Lyra Micro Jukebox line. The 4GB RCA Lyra RD2762 ($149 list) comes in a metallic bright red finish and has a 1.5-inch monochrome screen. The 5GB RD2765 ($199) is metallic silver and adds a 1.5-inch color screen for viewing JPEG photos and album cover art. The 5GB RD2763 ($179, available in September 2005) will be metallic blue with a 1.5-inch monochrome screen, and it will come bundled with an FM transmitter for sending your music to any nearby FM tuner.

Each of the three players weighs about 3 ounces and has the approximate footprint of a business card. They all have a bumpy, rubberized jog wheel with a select button in the middle, more than vaguely reminiscent of the i-know-what. They also support ID3 tags as well as Windows Media DRM 10 and PlaysForSure. A free firmware upgrade is also available for all three models, which will speed up transfer, sync, and profiling, as well as improve battery recharge and playback time. The jukeboxes will also support Audible content via another free download that will be available later this year.